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Habitat Conservation Plan--HCP
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Landsburg Mitigation
Chinook, Coho & Steelhead Mitigation
Efforts to address the Landsburg Dam blockage to Chinook, coho and steelhead include the following projects and programs.
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Interim Chinook, Coho and Steelhead Mitigation Program
Due to general decline of Chinook, coho and steelhead stocks, the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) provides funds to aid the recovery of these species during 2000 through 2008. A total of $800,000 will be provided for these measures. Specific actions are defined by the Cedar River Anadromous Fish Committee and representatives of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the City of Seattle.
Interim mitigation measures will serve to:
- • gather biological information to aid in the design and management of conservation measures through studies of the life history, genetics or demographics of fish species
- • and/or to implement an emergency artificial production program to prevent any fish species from reaching a critically small population size and risking extinction
- • provide other benefits consistent with the Landsburg Mitigation Agreement.
Examples of funded projects and research to date include a genetic study of the trout and steelhead populations, special tag detection equipment at the locks and predation studies in Lake Washington.
Landsburg Fish Passage Project
Landsburg is the site of the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) diversion dam and drinking water intake facilities in the Cedar River Watershed. Until 2003, the dam blocked anadromous fish from accessing approximately 17.5 miles of fish habitat on the Cedar River that had been inaccessible since 1900.
The Landsburg Fish Passage Project provides fish passage opportunity above the Landsburg Dam for Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead trout. Fish passage facilities include:
- • two fish ladders
- • a fish screen at the water supply intake
- • modifications to the dam to protect downstream migrating juvenile fish
- • other necessary upgrades at the site.
See the Fish Passage Project link for further information.
Fish Passage Evaluation
As part of the monitoring and research and adaptive management programs, several activities are being carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the Landsburg fish passage facilities, and to ensure that passage does not result in public health concerns. The Landsburg fish passage evaluation component of the HCP includes counts at the Landsburg fish ladders, Landsburg intake screen evaluation, and drinking water quality monitoring.
Fish Ladder Counts
The City operates an electronic fish counter at the Landsburg Dam to count adult anadromous fish. This will aid in understanding of run timing, rate of upstream passage, the rate at which the upstream habitat is recolonized and to monitor upstream fish passage facility performance.
Intake Screen Evaluation and Monitoring
Special intake screens for the City’s water supply were installed and tested to ensure that water intake velocities would be safe for fish.
Drinking Water Quality monitoring
Passage of Chinook, coho and steelhead above Landsburg dam is not expected to adversely affect water quality at the intake pipe. As a safeguard, however, the City will supplement its current water quality monitoring to assess the effects of allowing upstream passage of anadromous fish on drinking water quality. Several new water quality parameters will be added to the existing program, and the current sampling frequency will be increased. Baseline data were collected prior to the passage of fish, and additional data will be collected over time.
Related links
Habitat Conservation Plan- HCP
Water Quality
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